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Orchestra Performs “The Hunt” from Planet of the Apes

Jerry Goldsmith’s music for The Planet of the Apes received an Academy Award nomination and now ranks No. 18 on the American Film Institute’s Top 25 American film scores. Here is a split-screen video of the orchestra accompanying “The Hunt” scene from the movie.

The music was performed at a Jerry Goldsmith tribute by the Tenerife Film Orchestra and Choir in 2009 at Fimucite, the Tenerife International Film Music Festival, in the Canary Islands.

6 thoughts on “Orchestra Performs “The Hunt” from Planet of the Apes”

I’m reminded why the original Planet of the Apes is one of my very favorite films. The music is so fit and integral that despite its huge dramatic impact when heard alone, it’s almost “silent” when one sees the film intact.

Mike Batt uses a lot of the same elements (in particular the “walking oboes” effect juxtaposed with heavy contrasts from the string section), and now I wonder if he learned it from this piece.

If you have a symphony orchestra near where you live see if they are going to do performances like this. At the Ravinia Festival The Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the past three years played along with a showing of each installment of The Lord of the Rings films. Just a few weeks ago I saw Metropolis at Symphony Hall with the CSO playing early twentieth century music with the film. Unfortunately I missed 2001. Next year they’re performing Leonard Bernstein’s wonderful score for On the Waterfront alongside the film. They’re also doing Back to the Future and scenes from famous movies. It’s too bad I also missed their concert alongside Warner Brothers cartoons. Hearing one of the best symphony orchestras in the world doing Carl Stallings, the classical music used in the cartoons, and Raymond Scott’s Powerhouse must have been wonderful. This is great fun. Try to do it if you can.

When a gifted composer integrates music seamlessly with a visual image, creating an emotional resonance and forging a personal connection with the image that would not be possible if it were to be seen silent, is magical. Jerry Goldsmith (alongside John Carpenter and John Williams) is the primary reason for why I became an avid collector of film soundtracks.